Battle Report
The Sudbury Wolves host the wildly popular Sudbury Saturday
Night with CVRD Inco this weekend.
It's expected tonight's matchup against the Oshawa Generals and
Saturday's game against Mississauga will draw over 10,000
screaming fans.
Tonight's game starts at 7:30 pm, while Saturday's contest
begins at 7 pm.
Oshawa is in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings
with Sudbury right on their heels at fifth.
With two wins last weekend, including a big 3-0 shut out of the
Eastern Conference-leading Barrie Colts, the Wolves feel primed
to chew up more competition.
"We started playing well the week before...and it carried over
to last week," said head coach and GM Mike Foligno.
 "I knew they were starting to come around as a team heading into last week's games. We kept upbeat and the confidence level went up. We had solid games against Barrie and Windsor and now we need to build off those wins.
The only way to keep it going is if the players push themselves to be better than the last time they were on the ice."
The Wolves need a few more cylinders firing to establish more
success.
"The attitude on the team is positive," said the bench boss.
"Akim Aliu is playing harder and becoming a big factor in our
games...he had two goals against Windsor. Now, we need other
guys such as Matt Dias and Kevin Baker getting on the
scoreboard more consistently. We know we will get production
from Justin Donati and Nick Foligno...we just need support
scoring. Guys like Baker and Dias can execute properly and
score while not being a defensive liability."
Sudbury is getting strong support scoring from forward Patrik
Lusnak. The crafty Slovak has emerged as a big time player with
13 points in 13 games in the month of January.
"Patrik is really starting to play hard," said Foligno. "He is
also really physical and hits hard. He's not intimidated and
his play has kept him in with Justin and Nick."
Against Oshawa, the Wolves will have to be wary of the
explosive offence lead by Tavares, who was one of the leading
scorers with 103 points in his first 49 games.
"I want a full 60 minutes of effort," said Foligno. "We can't
run-and-gun with them. We also need to play hard in the
defensive zone and make life difficult for their forwards. We
need our power plays going well...we need players paying the
price in front of the net. That's really important."
Sudbury Saturday Night brings out the best in the Wolves.
"It's a lot of fun for the team and our fans," said Foligno.
"There's a lot happening and the players really seem to rally
around the great atmosphere. That's what makes this team
work...having great support from the community through fans and
sponsors."
Enemy Line
A few seasons ago, the Oshawa Generals started their rebuilding
program. Fast forward to present day, and the reconstruction of
the Generals back into a feared team is almost complete.
It helps when the foundation is built on the back of John
Tavares, the most intriguing prospect to come along in junior
hockey since Sidney Crosby.
Tavares is a one-man wrecking crew and one of the most prolific
scorers the OHL has ever seen.
At the age of 16, when most players are just hoping to earn a
roster spot, Tavares is in a heated battle for the scoring race
in the OHL. In his first 49 games, Tavares had 55 goals and 103
points to place second in the scoring race.
Tavares and other players, such as Brett MacLean, Cal
Clutterbuck and Dale Mitchell and rookie defender Michael Del
Zotto, have all driven the Generals into a playoff spot and the
team has been red hot since January, climbing up the
standings.
"It means a lot to this team to be back in the playoff
picture," said Generals head coach and GM Brad Selwood. "We
knew we were going to have some painful years as we rebuilt the
team. It's been a long and difficult road and we're not there
yet. We're hoping for a playoff spot and get this franchise
headed in the right direction. We're still a young team...they
had to learn how to win in this league. Their development took
some time, but it's getting a lot better."
Tavares is the real deal and shows it in every game, and by
what he does off the ice.
"John is a driven kid...he wants it bad," said Selwood.
"Everything he gets, he deserves. His development is
unbelievable and he works hard at his game. He's always
striving to be even better. He's always on the ice after
practice working on things. The hype he brings to the team is
great. It's a team game and John will be the first to point
that out...he knows he's only as good as his teammates. They
all handle the extra attention very well."
Tavares isn't the only young player causing a commotion in
Oshawa. Del Zotto, a 16-year-old defenceman, has also impressed
scouts with his pure offensive talents. In his first 50 games,
Del Zotto had nine goals and 51 points.
"We said it last year, during the middle of his midget season
that he could step in right away and quarterback any power play
in our league. And he's proven it. He's a great listener and a
hard worker...he's been a real big plus for us. Michael can
only get better...it takes a defenceman a bit longer to
develop."
